— Glenn C. Altschuler, Philadelphia Inquirer

Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2013 in the Theater & Dance Category.

The circus is a source of nostalgia for Americans of all ages, either from memories of attending P. T. Barnum’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” or through the colorful evocations in many movies, television programs, and books. Interest in the circus phenomenon is unflagging, yet there have been few publications that look closely at how the circus’s European origins were refashioned for an American audience. Lavishly illustrated and carefully researched, this volume explores how American culture, values, demography, and business practices altered the fundamental nature of the European circus, and how, by the end of the 19th century, they had transformed it into a distinctly American pastime.

At the peak of its cultural significance, the circus was a sophisticated combination of theater and business, and made effective use of advertising, train travel, and hyperbole. The subjects in The American Circus reflect this complexity, ranging widely from thematic explorations of circus music and elephants to more closely focused studies of objects such as circus toys, souvenirs, and performers’ costumes. The book also explores the dark and even nefarious side of the circus, and its associations with marginalized dimensions of American life and culture. With contributions from leading scholars, this stylishly designed volume aims to identify the salient features of an Americanized cultural product and to analyze its appeal for American audiences.

The Transnational History of the Early American CircusMatthew WhitmanThe American Circus in Victorian BritainBrenda AssaelAmerican Circus PostersPaul StirtonShelburne Museum’s Colchester Posters and Circus AdvertisingKory W. RogersThe Circus ParadeGregory J. RenoffCircus Music in AmericaLeon BotsteinThe American Circus TentFred Dahlinger, Jr.Elephants and the American CircusSusan NanceHorses and Cat Acts in the Early American CircusBrett Mizelle

Circus Toys in the Gilded AgeEugene W. MetcalfThe WPA Circus in New YorkSusan WeberDisability and the CircusRachel AdamsBibliography

Index

Photo Credits

Contributors

Rachel AdamsProfessor of English and American Studies at Columbia UniversityKenneth L. AmesProfessor at the Bard Graduate CenterBrenda AssaelLecturer in Modern British History at Swansea University in the United KingdomLeon BotsteinPresident of Bard CollegeFred Dahlinger Jr. Curator of Circus History at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of ArtJanet M. DavisAssociate Professor of American Studies, History, and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Texas at AustinEllen Butler DonovanProfessor of English at Middle Tennessee State UniversityRodney HueyEditor of The International Guide to the CircusEugene W. MetcalfProfessor of American and interdisciplinary studies at Miami University, OhioBrett MizelleProfessor of History and the Director of the American Studies Program at California State University, Long BeachSusan NanceHistorian of Communication and Live EntertainmentJennifer Lemmer PoseyAssistant Curator at the Circus Museum with the John and Mable ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FloridaGregory J. RenoffAssociate Professor of History at Drury UniversityKory W. RogersCurator of Design Arts at the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VermontPaul StirtonAssociate Professor at the Bard Graduate CenterPeta TaitProfessor of Theatre and Drama at La Trobe University, AustraliaSusan WeberFounder and Director of the Bard Graduate CenterMatthew WittmanCuratorial Fellow at the Bard Graduate Center